Our school social worker emailed the following today, great tips!
Family Gatherings Tips
Family Gatherings can be the most difficult of trips. The main challenges may be about how you and your child should behave, houses that are not child-proofed, and the high level of social interactions directed at your child. Children with taste sensitivities may also not like any of the food that is prepared.
1. Travel, if possible, in two cars. One parent can return home with your child if he/she becomes distressed and the rest of the family can stay.
2. Feed your child ahead of time. A fed child is better behaved than a hungry one.
3. Allay concerns that your child doesn’t eat enough by explaining that he/she already ate.
4. Bring food that your child will eat.
5. Feed your child in a separate room, if he was not fed ahead of time.
6. Come early before most people arrive. This let’s your child get accustomed to the growing number of people rather than being there all at once.
7. Ask if you can remove breakable items from your child’s reach.
8. Avoid homes where people refuse to accommodate by doing even the simplest of child-proofing. This creates and inappropriate stress level on you and your child.
9. Pick a quiet place in the home to go if your child becomes distressed.
10. Bring your child’s favorite toys or games.
11. Show your child pictures of relatives and teach him/her their names beforehand.
12. Let others watch your child if they volunteer. You need a break too.
13. Ask for help if you need it. Ask, “Could you watch him/her while I eat?”
14. Accept unwanted advice with the “I’ll have to think about that,” and smile. They are really trying to help. People cannot understand what it is like to live with autism until they experience it for themselves.
